3030-150
by Billywick
Summary: What if Noh-Varr was introduced to the YA right after the recent AvX events? What if that introduction was very, very inconvenient? A wishful spin on Marvel Boy joining the YA. Tommy Shepherd/Noh-Varr. Also it's 30/30-150, cheers
1. Chapter 1

"You know, this would be so much easier if we had, you know, a mage?!"  
The speedster dodged another thrown car and sent the superhuman thug sprawling with a well-placed punch in the mouth.

"What do you expect me to do about it, Speed? It's not like I haven't..." the rest of the sentence was lost in the roar of a darting flame, courtesy of a flamethrower belonging to today's brand of havoc wreaking criminals.

"He quit, he doesn't want this, you gotta let it go, Speed."  
The reprimanding tone unmistakably belonged to one Hawkeye, otherwise known as Kate to her friends. A circle thinned too harshly in the recent past.

"Tch, he shouldn't have. He should be here."  
Tommy's extraordinarily whiny mood was diminished the instant something came screaming out of the sky, afire from its recent atmospheric entry.  
The dull shockwave of the impact reverberated in Tommy's very bones.

"I'll go check it out!" And he was gone. Speed never waited for acknowledgement let alone permission. Besides, Kate and Teddy were more than capable of dealing with these chumps for the five minutes he'd be gone, right?

The crater sprawled across Tommy's vision, a vast and violent hole in a conveniently empty parking lot. At least there'd been no people around to get crushed or burned...

At the center of this smoking devastation was a hunk of metal, no, it had form, more like a ship. It looked nothing like any ships or planes Tommy'd ever seen before and that was saying something, he lived in New York after all and he'd seen plenty of robots, space-ships and alike.

No, this was definitely an alien ship. A badly damaged, burning sort of alien ship. The acrid smell of molten cables, burning organic matter and white-hot metal invaded the speedster's nose and he lifted his hand immediately to try and keep his smelling organ covered, his breath reduced to short, shallow bursts.

A tiny movement inside of the wrecked ship caught his eye. Something...someone was in there! The faintest of groans brushed Tommy's ears.  
Right. He knew what to do. He was a hero, and heroes' duties involved rescues.

In a matter of seconds, his hands shifted the hot mess that once resembled a door and the person who'd groaned fell from their entrapment and Tommy barely managed to catch...him.

He was heavy, whoever he was. A mess of black, white and red. So much red. Tommy wasn't one to faint at the sight of blood, but the amount of hot, sticky scarlet running over his hands put a heavy pit into his stomach.

"Come on, don't die on me, alien dude!"  
The speedster dragged the body away from the burning wreckage and settled him on the ground. Gently, for Tommy Shepherd standards, which only guaranteed a fractured skull wouldn't be added to the man's injuries.

Tommy let his gaze sweep over the rescued life and was met with a dirty shock of snow-white hair, furrowed brows and matte, icy blue eyes. He seemed almost familiar, but the speedster couldn't remember why or where he'd seen him before...

"Hey, you're awake, good. Do me a favour and stay alive for the next five minutes?"

Okay, empathy had never been Tommy's strong suit, but he was afraid of failure. Heroes didn't fail. He would not be a lousy hero and he damn well would be if this guy decided to kick the bucket under his care.

The nameless stranger parted bloody lips, moved them, tried to speak, but his voice would not obey him. Tommy pressed his palms to the bigger puncture wounds, trying to call up his less than rudimentary knowledge of first aid.

"...ou.."

"What?!" his voice came out too loud, too harsh, but the speedster leaned his head down, ear almost touching those abused looking lips in order to hear the bleeding man speak.

"Thank you..." icy eyes, murky with pain, drifted closed slowly, an expression of relief washing over the disturbed features of the man's face.

"Nonononono come on you asshole no dying!"  
Tommy gathered the bulkier man closer in order to find a pulse or something, but his search was without reward. Of course, it would have helped if he'd remember where he was supposed to look or feel. The neck? Or was it the arm?!

"Tommy!"  
Finally, Hulkling and Hawkeye. Surely one of those two would know what to do.

"He's bleeding all over the place and I think he's unconscious. One of you do something!"

Yet neither Young Avenger moved. Speed looked up wildly to see what had paralzyed his friends.

"What are you doing?! Help me!"

Teddy's face had hardened, his jaw set and eyes several touches too cold for comfort.  
"That's Noh-Varr."

Tommy's mind works at four times the speed of an average human. And yet it could not dredge up one memory of seeing this man before, not one memory of icy blue eyes and white hair...

"I don't give a fuck who he is, he is NOT dying on my watch!"

That startled Kate and Teddy into action, both knelt down to look at the unconscious, injured man.

*  
In hindsight, Tommy really should have remembered.  
An alien, he hadn't been wrong there. A kree, to be precise. Once upon a time, an Avenger, two superhero identities and a lengthy stint in prison, courtesy of S.H.I.E.L.D.  
Oh yes, as well as a brain-washed attack on the Young Avengers and the Runaways in L.A. The reason for Teddy's displeasure at their unintended reunion. Tommy'd missed most of that affair, so it came as no surprise that he didn't recognize 'Marvel Boy'. AKA the Protector. AKA Noh-Varr, currently banished from Earth by both the Avengers and the X-Men.

All in all, someone who made a lot of mistakes. Somehow, it seemed a perfect fit that Tommy's first real rescue charge was a misfit, an ex-convict and in exile from general human society. Not to mention pretty strongly disliked in the superhuman community.

The speedster paced as he waited for Teddy and Kate. Someone had to watch over their uninvited 'guest' and since, well, Tommy rescued him, that particular chore had fallen to him.

With Noh-Varr's worst wounds dressed by Kate with Teddy's help and the accelerated healing this particular Kree was well-known for, there wasn't much they could do for him.

So Tommy was alone at the hideout, the little not-store Kate had bought for the team before they got all buddy-buddy with the Avengers, or so he'd been told. It was horrifically boring to be left with a sleeping alien, but Kate had been merciful enough to leave her laptop.  
And he'd promptly done something he would have picked on Billy on for a week; he googled the Protector.

As an Avenger, he'd been...well, nothing exceptional. The general consensus of the superhuman-obsessed internet people of the world seemed to be a resounding 'meh'. The fact that he was Kree came up several times, but he stood in the shadows of Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel in that aspect. Even Hulkling came up more often in the search than Protector.

Of course, there was little to find on Noh-Varr's time in the Cube, but enough vague information to give Tommy an idea. Experiments, solitary confinement...it was all hauntingly familiar. He felt the groping hand of buried memories grasp at his mind, but he was definitely not in the mood to remember his trauma-inducing past. At least, not now when he was viewing an old article adorned with a picture of the lovely message Noh-Varr sent Earth. Tommy bit back a snigger as he read about the impressive, five block high lettered 'fuck you' the Kree burned into New York, right along with his declaration of war. Alright, that was kinda cool.

The speedster glanced up towards the clock. Fuck. Only ten minutes since he'd sat down with the laptop. Kate had promised to make her errands as fast as she could and Teddy had to put in his obligatory appearance at the Kaplans...

Tommy was fidgeting, tapping his foot against the couch, stomach rumbling as he looked over at the make-shift bed. Noh-Varr was deeply asleep. And hey, he wasn't exactly a villain. Nothing spoke against a short trip to the store, some snacks, some god damn food! Before he'd even finished the thought, Tommy was out of the door.

Loud voices greeted him upon his return. Tommy gripped the bag of packaged goods tighter, in case he needed a weapon on hand.  
As he got closer, he relaxed. The raised voices belonged to Kate and Teddy and a third, unknown rich baritone. Must be Noh-Varr. Wait, he was awake?!  
Tommy rushed into the room, only to find his charge sitting up and fully conscious. The murkiness was gone from his eyes, they were cold and crystal clear. Tommy had to admit, the pure aggressive strength in that gaze, despite the Kree's poor physical condition was impressive.

"What's going on?"  
Kate wheeled around and fixed Tommy with a withering glare.

"You! You left him alone! He could hav-"

"What? Walked away? Saved us the trouble? Good, it's not like we don't have enough problems to take care of!" Tommy snapped, body immediately taut and ready to defend himself. A reflex, but it seemed enough to make Kate consider his words.

"Guys, enough," Teddy raised his currently human hands and sighed, trying to ease the tension in the room, "nothing happened, he's still here, let's just calm down okay?"

He looked weary. Billy's long, depressive, almost catatonic state had worn him down and left its scars all over him. The usually cheery blond looked tired and avoided any kind of argument between his tempered teammates as if he had no energy left to give.  
Meanwhile, Noh-Varr kept silent. His eyes were preying on Tommy, chasing him around the room and clinging to his every movement. The speedster shifted as if the gaze was a discomforting, thick layer of slime or something unpleasant on his skin.

"I do not want to trouble you. I owe you," the look he sent Tommy stirred liquid fire in the Young Avenger, which was a sensation he wasn't entirely sure of liking, "my life."

"Look we don't wanna be rude or anything but you have to go as soon as you're better."

"Wow Teddy, feeling especially xenophobic today? I'm not sure you can do that and all, what with being green and shit," Tommy sneered, crossing the room with definite purpose now, carefully avoiding his friends to reach the make-shift bed. Not a show of solidarity, but to enforce his objection to the decision Kate and Teddy had obviously felled in his absence. He couldn't care less about this stupid fucking alien.

"That's no it," the shapeshifter slumped, what little strength there'd been to his shoulders seeping out in view of yet another argument.

"He's been banished from Earth, Thomas," the speedster cringed at that name out of Kate's mouth, but she continued, "the Avengers told him to never return! And here he is. They're gonna hunt him down and guess who else? Us, for letting him stay in the first place."  
Teddy nodded solemnly in agreement.

"So?"

Kate gave an exasperated sigh, of course, Tommy would be stubborn now.

"You don't get it, do you? Unless he returns to where he came from, we'll be criminals for sheltering him."

"Since when do we care about the fucking Avengers?! They never like what we do, so what? You gonna send him back just cos' you don't wanna get in trouble with the 'grown-ups'? That ain't right! I thought that's what we're all about? Doing the right thing!" Tommy took a deep, fast breath and Noh-Varr's deep baritone broke through the stunned silence of the room.

"I can't."  
"Can't what?" Teddy asked, his voice much terser than usual.

"I can't go home. I have none. I am in exile...banished from the Kree empire, just as I am banished from Earth. They will kill me."

The silence wasn't stunned anymore; it was deafening.

"That settles it. Fuck the Kree and fuck the Avengers and especially fuck the X-Men. He's staying here, with us. And if either of you have a problem with that, I'm leaving, right now."

"Tommy..." Kate began, ready to argue until the last breath in her lungs, but the speedster set his jaw and tensed his shoulders, eyes glowering with conviction. He was utterly, stupidly and stubbornly determined to do this his way. The decision had been made.


	2. Chapter 2

****

Within a week, the life of the diminished Young Avengers returned to normal. Ish.

Except for this inconvenient, large secret hanging over their heads. Well, mostly Kate's head, to be honest.

The problem of where to keep Noh-Varr only had one resolution; Kate needed to 'store' him away somewhere. He would have been fine in the hide-out, except that certain non-active Young Avengers (Tommy refused to believe they'd really quit forever) knew very well. What if Billy decided to take a trip down memory lane? Highly unlikely, what with the mood he tended to be in most of these days, but possible. And Eli, too. They couldn't take the chance.

Teddy hadn't been thrilled by the idea of leaving his precious boyfriend out of the loop, but all it took to convince him where a couple of thoughts as to how something like this could impact on the frankly over-sensitive mind of the reality-warper.

So, here was the problem and its only resolution was anything but thrilled. Not only did Kate have to put the alien exiled convict ex-Avenger up, but she had to do so for at least three nights before they could meet again or deposit Noh-Varr somewhere new. Since it was Tommy's brilliant idea to keep the guy here, he should have been the one to put him up.

The Kree...Tommy found himself for once regretting his adamancy.  
Out of all the people he could have rescued from a burning wreckage, he was definitely the worst possibility. Maybe the speedster should have waited to experience the guy's personality before putting his ass on the line for him.

Unconscious was definitely the state they all preferred the ex-Avenger in. Not that Kate or Teddy mentioned anything like that, but they agreed, Tommy wasn't that bad at reading people and situations. The terse silence spoke more than any monologue or therapeutic session could ever reveal.

Awake, the Kree was...attentive, annoyingly so. He clung to every word parted from the Young Avengers' lips as if they would be his death sentence. Tommy understood that he was a hunted man, but did he really have to grow so tense every time someone opened a door or the Avengers were on the news?

Actually, the worst part was probably that Noh-Varr was trying to be discreet about it. He hid his flinches, bit back any questions (and he probably had hundreds) and when he spoke...it was self-assured in only the faintest of tones. The apology lay thick on every word, every uttered breath seemed to be a whispered 'sorry for existing' and it disgusted Tommy in ways he couldn't, no, didn't want to comprehend or think about.  
And for the next three days, he could do just that. Once Kate found somewhere else to hide away their injured alien, it would be Tommy's chore to look after him. Not that Noh-Varr expressed any desire for such intensive care; Kate and Teddy only reluctantly compromised with their speedster that the Kree could stay on Earth, as long as he remained out of sight and mind, out of trouble and under the superhuman community's attention.

And then, it would be on Tommy's head, the archer had promised, but he already knew what little remained of his team would stand by his side, even if he was entirely to blame for the trouble.

Really, everything would be so much easier if they had their antichrist-messiah-reality-bending-mage aboard. Billy could hide Noh-Varr so easily, actually, he could probably disguise him and hide him and let him wander off on Earth. They'd never have to worry about anyone discovering him at all and hey, if Noh really was trouble, Billy could just zap him back to wherever he'd come from.

Stupid Billy. Why couldn't he just come back? He was the superhero nerd, the expert on all sorts of useless and creepy stalker information, the king of needless sass and the advocate of tight uniforms. Not to mention an extraterrestrial enthusiast, since he was in fact, dating one.  
He would have been on Tommy's side, the speedster was sure of it.

But nothing was the same since that ill-advised, but entirely overdue hunt for the Scarlet Witch. The team was a shamble and there was no escaping the memories, not when it had taken Billy months to stop being a living corpse. Tommy still wasn't entirely sure what the trip to the Avengers' mansion had brought them, because nothing really changed. Billy continued on with his regular life, Teddy, he and Kate continuing to be what all of them set out to be. Heroes. Doing the right thing.

Like this thing with the Kree. He was probably a completely miserable being, fucking up wherever he went, but that didn't matter to Tommy. Here was a guy who needed help so Tommy was helping. Even if the guy was somehow irritating without exchanging more than a sentence with the speedster at most. Tommy put his foot down about keeping him here. Tommy was, indirectly, responsible for Noh and his actions on Earth.

How exactly that had turned into him having to spend the next couple of days with the alien, Tommy wasn't so sure about.

His foot pounded the concrete beneath in impatience, he'd been here for five minutes and sixteen seconds and still no sign of Kate. What the hell was taking so long?! Waiting was one of the universe must stupefying activities, but he might be biased on that point.

Finally, the deep pitch of Kate's voice. Alright, not deep enough to be mistaken for a man, but Tommy remembered just what kind of charming noises that pretty mouth could utter, how her voice turned rich and enticing when she wanted it to.

That night they'd stolen Clint Barton's bow back? One of the best ever.

Kate was a sight for sore (or just, perfectly fine) eyes, but the taller, broad, male shape next to her was a great big thorn in his side. Noh-Varr looked entirely too healthy, the stupid alien. He didn't look happy, of course not, but he seemed less...panicked, less paranoid. Then again he just looked like an average, good-looking human. Did he just think of the Kree as good-looking? Bah, must be all that time around Billy and Teddy. Maybe it was a good thing he was ditching the Kaplans for the next week. All under the excuse of seeing a friend of course. Rebecca and Jeff had been sickeningly kind towards him, apparently they had a thing for picking up strays...

The real problem was Billy though, because he knew Tommy had no such thing as friends. Ah well. That was all in Teddy's more than capable hands. Tommy was pretty damn sure that a few well-placed gropes and kisses would take the mage's mind off of his 'soul' twin brother's disappearance.

"Zippy, you're early as usual. You just couldn't wait to babysit, huh?" Kate was way too relaxed in the alien's presence. There was an easy smirk to her lips and her whole posture was definitely lighter than it had been in the past weeks and months. What the hell happened in the last three days?

Tommy felt his mouth twist into a scowl as his eyes met Noh-Varr's. There was no smirk on his lips, but that gaze spoke volumes. Oh. So something really did happen. Well the speedster would sure as hell find out.

"For someone who wanted to kick him off the planet, you sure look couple-y to me Hawkette."

Kate dismissed his snide comment with an easy wave of her hand, instead reaching up to the Kree's shoulder, patting it in a manner that made Tommy's hackles rise.

"Go easy on him. He's not as much of an asshole as he pretends to be. Well, boys, I'll leave you to your sleepover, I got big girl business to take care of."

"Thank you for your hospitality," the smirk Tommy'd sensed before appeared on Noh's lips and the speedster didn't like it one bit, "I value your change of opinion concerning my person."

"Dude you gotta stop talking like an alien. I thought you spent enough time on Earth to at least drop the dictionary talk."

"Not everyone uses single syllable vocabulary, Zippy. Read a book once in a while," with another flourish of her hand, Kate began walking away, a swing to her hips that certainly suggested she'd enjoyed playing host to their alien guest after all.

Which left two white-haired men to glower at each other. Or rather, Noh-Varr indulged Tommy's poisonous glances. People passed by around them, leaving a bubble of space, as if the hostility was palpable.

"Well. I can see you will not be as pleasurable company as your friend and teammate, Thomas Shepherd."

"It's Tommy. You say that name again and I'll show you how much fun it is to have your atoms destabilized," Tommy's sneer as certainly reflecting his state of mind. Why had he stuck up for this guy again? Why the hell couldn't it have been a hot alien babe falling from that wreckage? Now he was stuck with this assbutt for a week. Worst of all, he couldn't go back on his own decision. He'd really fallen for that sob-story of imprisonment...Typical. Why couldn't his compassion choose a convenient hot babe to side with?

"Very well, Tommy," the name sounded odd, as if the Kree rolled another syllable in there, "should we go? I would prefer not to be having our...conversation out in the open."

"Hmph. Come on then. But don't think I'm gonna let you be a smug idiot all day just because you...did whatever you did with Kate."

The speedster lead his charge away, finding it utterly tedious to be walking at a human pace and use public transport of all things! He could sleepwalk faster than these god damn trains!

After an hour, which felt like a wasted week to Tommy, they arrived at the apartment Kate arranged for Noh-Varr to be staying in. She didn't exactly go all out. Tommy knew they'd agreed on something low-key and all, but a single bedroom apartment in the Bronx? What, were they sinking to Deadpool standards now? Tommy made a mental note to wipe that knowing smirk off of the little rich girl's face the next time they met.

"If you think you're getting the bedroom you can go suck on Galactus' dick," (thanks, king of the nerds brother, your lame knowledge came in handy once in a lifetime), "you got that? I got hero privileges, that means a mattress."

Noh-Varr raised a snowy brow at him, but said nothing, dumping the duffel bag of whatever he could possibly own in the living room. The couch wasn't exactly spacious, but he'd had worse. Think prison wall-mounted benches, lovely, hard, cold plastic. Yeah, a cushioned couch, even if a little worn down was definitely preferable.

Even the lack of argument pissed Tommy off. What, was this guy just going to...silently endure him for a week? That was even worse than fighting him constantly. Actually, Tommy sort of wanted that. He wanted to shout and argue and fight with someone. Being careful and sort of empathetic around his teammates grated on his nerves, he cursed the apparent vulnerability of other people and their lack of the talent to progress past tragedy, pain and frankly, pretty horrific incidents.

But Tommy knew enough about being sociable that it wasn't exactly in his best interests to go ranting and raging at the few remaining members of his team who were already stretched to their limits just doing what they were.

So, this guy was going to be his punching bag. Verbally, definitely, physically, well he looked like he could take a few high-speed blows, if it came to that.

"Man, you don't even have a sense of humour? This is gonna be a longass week..." Come to think of it, why couldn't they just leave Noh-Varr alone here? He wasn't going out to cause trouble, or rather, that scenario was very unlikely and he clearly was boring enough to be trusted to stay put.

Maybe Kate and Teddy had formed a secret society devising strategies to torture Tommy as humanely as possible. Those devious jerks.

"Do you always talk so much, Thomas? If so I would prefer you'd cram a cushion or a similar device into your oral cavity."

Tommy blinked. Had he just been sassed? By an alien? He forgot to get angry about the use of his full name as he rounded on Noh-Varr who'd sat down by now, picking at the fabric of the sofa with an infuriating smirk on his lips.

"Did you just tell me to-"

"Stop speaking of such irrelevancies? Yes, I did," the Kree cocked his head slightly, challenge gleaming in pools of ice. Oh. So it was going to be somewhat more entertaining than Tommy thought after all.

"I hate you already, did you know that? What are we supposed to do all day? I am so not babysitting your every move so do me a favour and stay out of my hair," Tommy moved around the apartment, finding it to be every bit as dull as he'd feared the moment he saw the front door. A week, camping out in a stupid apartment, with a stupid alien. At least there was a decent TV.  
Even being at the Kaplans, surrounded by Billy's demonspawn brothers and scarily intrusive parents, not to mention an idiotic loved up couple of teenage dorks sounded more enticing right now.

After his thorough inspection and confirmation that yes, there was a shower in the bathroom, no cockroaches in his mattress and a lock on the door, Tommy surrendered his day to watching Television and ignoring his temporary roommate.

The Kree wasn't on the couch anymore though, he'd been...outside? No, Tommy would have heard the door. So where the hell had the garbage bag come from? The speedster resisted the urge to clamp a hand over his nose and mouth at the sight of...banana peels, cardboard bits of packaging, coffee grounds and whatever meals had ended in the trash...

It wasn't so much the sight of trash that rooted him to his spot in the door. It was the fact the Kree was sitting with his back leaned against the couch, trash bag open in front of him like a bag of chips, munching on...the contents.

"Please tell me you're not doing what I think you're doing?" Tommy approached him wearily, all too aware of the unpleasant smells entering his nose. Noh-Varr looked at him, that stupid eyebrow cocked again, hand rummaging through the bag as if searching for a particularly tasty morsel.

"I'm eating. What does it look like, Thomas?"

"Okay first of all, last warning. It's Tommy or Speed. Nothing else. And second, you're eating garbage man! That is someone's trash! Where did you even get that?! Did Kate tell you this was normal food or something?!"

Noh-Varr looked at the bag, then at the mixture of unappealing foods and waste in his hand. No one had told him that it wasn't common to consume this manner of organic matter...He couldn't remember if any of his previous human acquaintances even witnessed him doing this...

"What do you suggest I eat otherwise? The last time I checked, I would need currency to get food on this planet. But you do make a point; you probably can't process this matter...You should go and provide us with sustenance."

The smell of rotten food was starting to make Tommy's eyes water, but he blinked the irritating liquid away. He couldn't tell if Noh-Varr had set this up as an elaborate way to force him into shopping or if he really was used to eating trash.

"That is fucking nasty. I will go get food, just throw that fucking shit away. And you're not eating this crap again, you understand me? It's disgusting. You gotta blend in with humans, not make sure that everyone sees you're a freakin' alien. How did you even survive the last time around?°

Noh-Varr's expression cooled at those words. Obviously, Tommy had struck a nerve without knowing so. The challenging, yet amused gleam vanished in an instant, only to be replaced by a glare that would have chilled lesser souls to the bone.

"I was not alone...I had...much help, fitting into human society."

"Did you have friends? We looked you up; didn't leave much of a fanclub behind, did ya?" Tommy knew he was pushing it by the arctic blizzard in Noh-Varr's eyes, but he was never one to back down from an emotional wound. A little salt could bring out the most interesting sides to a personality. Push at the boundaries and you'll see the real face of anyone.

"I had...someone precious to me. She...I cannot return to her."

"Oh dear god here comes the broken-hearted-ex-girlfriend. Please don't bore me with the details...did you ditch her before your little misadventure in space?" Wow, he was really getting good at that button pushing thing.

Noh-Varr seemed to blanch for just a second and the next, Tommy found himself slammed painfully against the doorframe, the unpleasant aroma of a mixture of trashed foods wafting much closer to his face than he'd ever be comfortable with.

"You're really starting to test my patience, Speed. Do not speak of matters you don't understand."  
Noh-Varr's naturally deep voice was far more raw now than ever before, probably due to the anger quite clearly on his face. Someone recently so gravely injured should not be capable of such a menacing grip.

Tommy narrowed his eyes, taking just a split second to vibrate himself out of that precarious situation, putting some distance between himself and the alien and opening a window.

"Shit, your breath really stinks like trash. Was she into that?" Noh-Varr looked like he was about to pounce across the room and tear his throat out with his teeth, "Alright alright, I won't mention the ex again. Just calm your alien rage down, I don't wanna have to trash this apartment teaching you manners."

"Rich, coming from a mutant miscreant like yourself," Noh straightened, shoulders slackening as his anger simmered down to a smoulder instead of a raging flame.

"Pretty big words coming from an ungrateful, stranded alien in need of a place to hide," the speedster shot back, he could feel the hairs on his necks stand up, leg muscles tight and ready to spring into action. His body was coursing with a wave of adrenaline he usually got when faced with giant killer robots or evil-doers of the especially dangerous kind.

But just as quickly as the fit of anger had come, it ebbed out of the Kree, who turned back to his half-spilled bag of trashed food, the fight bleeding out of his suddenly tired body. Maybe he wasn't as recovered as he'd given the impression to be.

"Don't you fucking eat another piece of that. Out of the window or in the can, right now. If I have to live in one apartment with you, you're not having rotten food breath on top of everything else."

Tommy didn't check if Noh-Varr obeyed his words, but when he walked out of the front door, he heard a dull thud and a splat in the alley beside the building. Alright, first lesson taught. This alien was going to be a double handful, but nothing he couldn't handle.


	3. Chapter 3

Murky sunlight filtered through yellowed curtains, the waft of New York's stagnant morning air wallowed through the opened slit and Tommy rolled over three times beneath the tangled bedsheets. Morning was quite possibly his least favourite time of the day. His body ached from the mattress, his nose irritated by the remaining dust in the room despite the hefty airing out yesterday, his view obscured by a looming shadow and penetrating stare...

Tommy would never, ever admit to the yelp he gave as he shot up, backwards and tumbled from the bed promptly. With a curse ripping from his throat, he scrambled to his feet.

"What the fuck man?! That's creepy as fuck! Don't ever do that again!"

Noh let the tirade wash over him as if it was nought but a gentle breeze, waiting for Tommy to catch his breath and to stop bristling like an enraged cat. Instead, the Kree's eyes toured the exposed body in front of him. Tommy despised having to carry around clothes especially for sleeping. Why bother? A pair of shorts was enough.

Well, except for right now, when he felt like an all-you-can-stare-at buffet open for alien creeps. With a cough, he cleared his throat and demanded the attention of those damn wandering eyes.

"Why the hell are you in here? Didn't we settle this yesterday? You know, before you were eating trash and all?"

Apparently Noh-Varr was a much more composed morning person than Tommy, because he didn't give any rise at all to those words.

"There's someone at the door."

That woke Tommy up entirely and pulled him from his morning-grump. Who would come to the door here? No one was supposed to know they were here! Shit! Was it the Avengers?! Or the X-Men?! But he seriously doubted Wolverine or Iron Man or whoever would be polite enough to wait at the door and knock.

"Get in the bathroom or something! No one can see you idiot!" shoving the alien aside, Tommy scrambled for his discarded clothing. Fucking typical. Kate did...whatever Kate did with the Kree and nothing happened, but on HIS first day with the alien, everything was going to shits.

Not that Tommy wanted to do whatever Kate did. That thought never even crossed his mind.

The knock at the door sounded again, "Just a minute, for christ's sake!"

Casting just one glance backwards to ensure Noh-Varr had disappeared from sight, Tommy yanked the door open much more aggressively than the poor wooden construct deserved, only to come face to face with his...

"Billy?!"

His twin offered a sheepish little grin that might have worked wonders on someone like Teddy or the entire world except for Tommy and held up a bag that looked suspiciously as if it could contain donuts.

Now, the sight of Billy should never really put anyone into a state of panic, but currently, Tommy's insides were trying to twist themselves out of existence. Damn that stupid shapeshifter! Couldn't he keep his mouth shut? Why was Billy here? Did he know about Noh-Varr? Fuck, why was he just smiling like that?! Alright, he had to do this, lying his ass off would turn away any suspicion, just keep it cool.

"I thought I'd bring breakfast...you know, I never really got to talk to you before you left."

Tommy tried to keep his face nonchalant, as if he'd just fallen out of bed (okay he actually did that) and was totally just spending a week in a shitty apartment for no particular reason.

"Shit, if I knew I'd get breakfast service I would have done this sooner," he didn't have a choice, he'd have to let Billy in, even if he would have preferred to take the offered food and shut the door in the mage's face.

Billy was obviously curious. He stepped inside, depositing the bags he'd brought on the kitchen counter. The couch looked acceptable, there was no sign of anyone else staying here with Tommy. At least the stupid alien was smart enough to clean up after himself.

"So, this place is...nice..." his dark-haired twin began, gingerly moving into the kitchen to locate a coffee machine. Clearly, he was intent on staying here and talking. Something that aggravated Tommy in any circumstance, but all the more right now.

"Uh, it's a dump. But you know, it's a place for me. I needed some...time away," Tommy scanned the remainder of the room for any sign of the Kree, but everything looked fine. His eyes landed on the bathroom door. Unlocked, but shut, without any kind of sound emerging. Good alien, stay put, stay silent.

"So what are you, you know, doing here? Where's your overly attached boyfriend?"

Billy seemed to tense for a moment, as if he felt guilty for going anywhere without Teddy, but the stupid smile that spread on his lips seconds later told Tommy all he had to know.

"He's still sleeping. I didn't want to wake him up, he's been really worn out lately. Not that I can blame him, I mean..." he stiffened again and Tommy had a vision of a still, hunched figure in a window, staring at the outside world without comprehending it, "he deserves a break for all I've put him through. I just wanted to see how you were doing, you know, checking you're not shacked up with some hookers or anything."

"Tch, as if I need to pay anyone to sleep with me. If anyone should get paid, it would be me, for sharing all of this with some lucky ladies," Tommy busied himself with sickeningly sweet donuts and freshly brewed coffee. This would totally be a tolerable morning if you replaced this shack with a penthouse, the alien in his bathroom and his brother with a couple of attractive young women...

But alas, unlike his early morning visitor, Tommy's wishes did not have a habit of manifesting themselves.

"Good to hear you're humble as ever," Billy chuckled, then froze. Tommy heard it just a second later. The rush of water from the bathroom, telltale sign of someone operating a shower. Damn that fucking stupid alien!

"Is someone here with you?" Tommy honestly hated that curious expression on Billy's face, the interested gleam to his eyes that bode ill for his purpose here.

"Ah, yeah, her," he had to think fast, throw Billy off the scent, god forbid he should want to meet the mysterious 'girl' in the bathroom.

"Why don't we uh, take this and go? This one's a real shrew in the morning," Tommy gathered the coffee mugs and donuts, nudging his shoes on, hoping for once, things would go his way.

Billy looked reluctant, glancing towards the bathroom, then the hallway, obviously looking for some sort of sign as to what sort of woman was hiding in his brother's shower.

"Are those hers? She's got big feet."

Fuck. The mage's keen gaze rested on Noh-Varr's combat boots in the hallway. Tommy cursed silently, then nudged his brother out of his seat and towards the door.

"Yeah, one of those gothic chicks. They're real wild in bed you know I like it like that."

"That is way more information than I ever wanted to know, Tommy."

"You know you were dying to know. Now come on, let's go."

As soon as the door clicked shut behind them, Tommy heaved a sigh of relief. Close call.

It was well past noon by the time Billy satisfied his need for brotherly bonding or whatever else he was trying to accomplish. Tommy would have bailed hours ago, but he had an agenda. Keep Billy off the trail. He discovered that no, Teddy didn't reveal their alien secret, but he couldn't have kept Billy from finding him. Not when the shapeshifter's beloved boyfriend could cast a locating spell within a couple of minutes.

Tommy felt absolutely worn down by the time he made it back to the apartment. Crawling back into bed for the next hours and letting the weariness melt away sounded perfect, but there was this pesky guest he had to see to. Or rather, yell at for making noises that could have had him discovered.

"I'm back!" Tommy slammed the door shut, hoping he wouldn't find anyone else on the other side of it for the rest of the week.

Noh-Varr was in the kitchen with his back to him, contemplating whatever was in front of him with studious intensity.

Tommy couldn't help the irritated twitch of his eye and he put a hand to his temple, trying to prevent the throbbing headache bound to be coming. Please, don't let him have cooked trash or something equally disgusting.

"What are you doing?" his voice came out a lot more tired than he felt, which had Noh-Varr turn as if he'd only just realized he was no longer alone in the apartment.

"I should not have come back to Earth."

"And the coffee maker told you that? Or did it offer you a convincing argument you couldn't handle?" Tommy crossed the apartment and settled himself on the counter separating the kitchen from the living room. Noh-Varr shifted slightly in his direction, his expression unreadable. Or maybe Tommy was just too worn down from Billy's interrogation to really put any thought into the Kree's facial expression right now.

"No, your encounter with your brother was clue enough. I will never be able to hide on this planet," okay, he could identify worry, maybe dissent in the voice. Not that he was about to rebuke that though, he wasn't here to make Noh-Varr feel good after all.

"I dunno, you could always go to Calcutta or some place that isn't you know, under the Avengers' nose. But I am not dragging your ass halfway across the world. Just stay put, lay low and we'll tell you when you can get the hell out of dodge."

Maybe Tommy was really feeling sluggish or maybe his reflexes were dulled by the consumption of sugary baked goods, but Noh-Varr was certainly much closer than the speedster was comfortable with. At least he didn't smell like garbage this time around.

"I still do not know why you're helping me at all. You gain no advantage from this. Or are you hoping I would join your team?"

Tommy blinked at him pretty stupidly. That particular train of thought had never breached his mind, but now that the Kree mentioned it, not an entirely awful idea. You know, if Noh-Varr wasn't a pain in the ass and wanted by pretty much any superhero team in the country.

"Hah, definitely not. I mean, I'm not saying we couldn't use a few more people, but you got this whole banishment and shit hanging over your head, you'd be more trouble than you're worth."

Again, Tommy was eagerly pushing buttons, even when he wasn't entirely aware of it. Noh-Varr's eyes stayed on him, mustering, assessing, weighing his words and turning them over in his head.

"I doubt it. I am a Kree soldier and you are just children. My abilities in battle and strategy-"

"Got you locked up nice and tight in the Cube. Yeah, I read about that. Were you making a point or did you just want to be an ass?" Tommy's glare was returned with ferocity and the speedster's senses awakened with a vengeance when ice-blue clouded with anger. Tommy was ready for a fight, ready to defend himself even in this awkward position.

"I'm starting to think your entire personality would be much improved if your mouth disappeared," Noh-Varr was snapping, no doubt about that and his body seemed coiled, powerful and ready to strike, "your teammate gave me some interesting information on your little group...you really ought not to be throwing pots in your black glass house."

Tommy found his mind reeling for a few seconds, trying to connect the meaning of that phrase to any logical conclusion. And subsequently gave a condescending snort. Noh practically flinched at the sudden release of hot air this close to his face, looking confused rather than intimidating.

"Oh my god, it's stones in glass houses or pots calling kettles black! How about an english lesson before you try metaphors again?" Tommy continued laughing, unable to shake the absurdity of the situation. Noh had the presence of mind to look embarrassed. He'd learned the entirety of the English language back when he first landed on Earth, but using it still bore its own hurdles.

"I am beginning to loathe you in entirely new lights, Tommy."

"Good, the sentiment is returned. Now move your ass out of the kitchen, I'm gonna make some real food. You know, not trash," Not a smirk but a grin spread over Tommy's lips as he swung his legs over the counter and landed on his feet. Of course, his 'real food' would have to be something within his limited range of cooking skills and supplies, but compared to what his house-alien considered food, it would be a fucking feast.  
Surprisingly enough, the apartment survived the next four days unharmed and in a state of relative peace. Tommy found occasion enough to butt heads with Noh-Varr, yet they never proceeded beyond dagger-like glares and words that could have scalded someone's ears off. And yet there was this growing sense of a match well met. Neither gave the other an inch, neither surrendered an argument or held back any 'blow' to be made. And somehow, it worked. Between frequent meals of only slightly burned spaghetti and heated arguments, hours turned into days and Tommy found himself no longer weary in Noh-Varr's company. It was a comfortable enough stale-mate that ruled over them.

Today, Kate and Teddy would turn up and the three of them would assess their alien situation. Tommy was pretty convinced that they could cut the Kree loose. He may be weird, talk strangely and consider rotten food perfectly good for consumption, but he wasn't stupid. Or particularly reckless. He could handle himself.

And yet the thought of adding the interdimensional traveller to their little group grew into an idea Tommy entertained more frequently. Superspeed (though nowhere near his own), enhanced strength, a strategically sound mind and a positive disposition towards humanity pretty much qualified the Kree in Tommy's eyes. If there wasn't that little problem with the Avengers and the X-Men hating his guts and wanting him off of the planet, preferably even out of the galaxy.

So yeah, maybe he should bring that up. But not in front of Noh-Varr. It's not like the speedster wanted the Kree to think he was somehow his accomplice now. It was enough that Tommy had saved him in the first place and put his hand in the fire for him.

"Tommy," the now familiar baritone interrupted his reverie and he rolled his eyes around and to the source of the voice, not particularly wanting to bother moving from his comfortable, draped-all-over-the-couch position.

"Hm?"

"I have decided; I will not go to...Calcutta or the other places you've mentioned," Noh-Varr settled himself on the floor cross-legged, glancing up at Tommy through bunched brows, "I will stay here. I've grown used to this culture...this city. It crawls, teems with life. I think I will be quite alright here."

Tommy shifted his body so he could look down at his roommate without any effort whatsoever, gaze lazily drifting over the rather determined features. Why was Noh telling this to him right now? Kate and Teddy would be along any moment to settle this up, it wasn't as if the speedster would be deciding this on his own. Or was this some sort of attempt to win him for Noh-Varr's side? Well he was definitely barking up the wrong tree with that notion.

"That really has nothing to do with me. We're not gonna tell you to leave town, but you are gonna be off our hands. If you get caught, it's your ass, not mine."  
Noh gave a nod, but he wouldn't lose the determined set to his jaw. Was he being stupidly stubborn on purpose today? Or was he looking for one last good argument before they parted ways, probably for the rest of time?

"Look I don't care what you do, just bring it up when we're all here, and if you wanna stay in New York you stay in New York, I mean, you are part cockroach, this place probably feels like home to you huh?"

Noh remained silent for a long time, long enough for Tommy to shift his full attention to him. He began studying his opposite's features, trying to guess what he was thinking. And oddly enough, he could. Noh-Varr wasn't at home. He probably didn't even know where he could apply that term. His own people wanted him dead...worlds he'd known and never would see again. Whatever concept of family or belonging the Kree had would be lost to him. And from what Tommy knew, that race of particular aliens did not forgive. They were ruthlessly efficient, logical, cold.  
Was Earth Noh-Varr's home? No, it couldn't be. Humans, mutants, whatever lived here was maybe a distant comfort for the loss the man experienced, but the speedster doubted Noh could possibly build up enough attachment to anything in this world to bridge that gap. Earth had not treated him kindly. He was unwanted, discarded and perhaps even hated.

Huh. Since when was Tommy this able to understand someone's thought progression? Maybe he'd been too bored in the recent days.

"I do not have a home. But I'd like Earth to be...I'd like Earth to become my home. I'm tired of being adrift," Noh's voice was quiet, yet steady, as if he'd given this a great deal of thought. Surprising, considering the two of them had spent most of their time arguing about the smallest of things, the most irrelevant of issues at hand.

"So that's why you wanna stay here. I get that. Well then you know what you gotta do right? Fuck what anyone else says, carve this place into your home. Just you know, not literally, or I'll kick your ass into the sun. One rude message across New York is enough."

"I retract my previous statement, Speed. You are pleasurable company after all. You know, ignoring your mouth and endless penchant for needless arguments," was that a near smile on Noh-Varr's face? Tommy felt a discomforting sense of familiarity right now, a feeling that nearly resembled being perfectly okay in this situation right here, in the Kree's company.

"Yeah well I can't say the same for you. You eat garbage and you like watching infomercials. No one sane likes infomercials. You're still a weirdass alien."  
There should have been venom in those words and yet they came out like a semi-decent compliment. He was definitely due to leave this weird roommate situation.

"Your deprecatory insult has been noted, Tommy."  
There was a short, sharp knock at the door and the murmur of two voices, definitely Teddy and Kate.

"Shut up and answer the door cockroach; your judge, jury and executioners have arrived."


	4. Chapter 4

"So that's it?"  
Tommy wasn't sure if he'd been asleep for the last hour and dreamed bizarrely close to reality or if in fact, they'd decided that a week and a half was long enough to test Noh-Varr's intentions and capabilities of blending in.

They were cutting him loose. Releasing him upon the world. That was it, end of the line, finito. The Kree would dive into cover wherever he could manage to get to on Earth and the Young Avengers would carry on their lives. As normally as they ever got, anyway.

"Are you objecting, Tommy? You were the one who couldn't wait for him to walk away from us. Literally," Kate's perfect eyebrow rose into a perfect arch, accenting her words with an effortless elegance other girls probably murdered their best friends for. But that was just Kate, a ridiculously flawless being. And obviously someone who made educated evaluations of aliens after sleeping with them. Or whatever Kate did, that point was never clarified.

"Did you make a friend, Tommy?" Teddy looked decidedly more cheerful than the last time they'd met. Ah. So Billy was putting out again. It was kind of cheesy to be able to judge a relationship's progress just by the size of Teddy's smile or the cheeriness in his voice. The blond shapeshifter was still utterly besotted with his boyfriend. Tommy was starting to wonder if their lives would always pivot on that particular relationship. Obviously, having sex with Tommy's twin made the blond stupid, because no one in their right mind would think that Tommy even needed such a thing as friends, especially not mooching alien assbutts.

"Pft, shut up. I'm just asking if we're sure about this. I mean, it's not like we've made him swear an oath with blood and all that. He could just tell whoever is going to catch him we let him stay. Wasn't that our primary concern? Being tattled on to the grown-ups?"

"Well the point is, we can trust him not to be stupid and to lay low. I thought you'd be all for this Speed?" Teddy's glance was taking on that same stupid curiosity Billy so often displayed. What was that saying about a couple becoming more or less one person? Tommy would definitely have to consider moving far, far away if those gay idiots became any more...well, idiotic.

"Whatever. I just didn't want to be an asshole and kick him off the planet. So, we're all good, I can stop babysitting and get a real meal? Good. Then that's that."

Noh-Varr watched the entire discussion nearly silently. He wasn't incapable of defending himself, but this decision was up to his 'hosts'. They could never force him to leave anyway, but they could make it very difficult for him to stay.

Still. He could pipe up. If he brought himself into the discussion, if he expressed a wish to join them even, Tommy was pretty sure Kate and Teddy would be swayed. As for himself? Speed could do with an additional set of shoulders to distribute work to. The Young Avengers were stretched thinner than prosciutto ham.

But Noh said nothing. It was as if he didn't even care, as if he would just wait to be rid of them. He probably did. Fucking ass. He probably thought he was doing THEM a favour by troubling the teenagers with a big additional problem on top of the mess that were the Young Avengers After the Fall.

"Alright, well, then, Noh-Varr, you are free to go. I'd definitely recommend leaving New York though. They found pieces of your ship, it was on the news," Kate moved around the apartment, as if checking for some unseen damages. She probably expected to find a battlefield, or at the very least some blood on the wall.

"I appreciate your help," Noh-Varr's posture suggested anything but gratitude and Tommy was seriously considering the option of starting that physical battle they'd avoided all week at last, but it was not to be, because Noh settled down on the couch instead of doing as he should, which should be bolting out of door after being 'confined' for the last fortnight.

"I will keep this apartment."

Tommy half-turned to Kate, more a flicker of the eyes than an actual shift of his body and waited, just a smidgen gleeful, for her to put that Kree into his place. This was her apartment, of sorts, bought with money she'd gotten (however Kate got money out of her father), so in all effects, it was definitely not Noh's choice.  
And watching him fight with Kate would be almost as enjoyable as arguing with the lousy freeloader himself.

But Kate just gave a dismissive wave of her hand, throwing a small ring of keys to the alien.

"Suit yourself, but you might want to renovate the place. It looks and smells like a bachelor pad."

"And you'd know all about what those look like, right?"  
Tommy's spiteful comment was completely ignored by Hawkeye and it riled the speedster to no ends. Especially when she gave Noh-Varr another glance and something close to a smile.

This was unacceptable. This light banter, this wasn't part of Noh and Kate's dynamic. Tommy'd been the one cooped up with the stupid fucker for a week, in which they established the sort of silent agreement of equal rights to snarking at each other. Kate just showed up and the Kree turned into 'please' and 'thank you' and 'you're a lovely human let's have sex'. Fucking cockroach.

"Whatever, I'm out."

Okay, maybe he didn't need to slam the door so hard on his way into the corridor, but he felt...as if Noh-Varr's purposeful banter was only for the benefit of exacerbating Tommy's irritation. As if he just had to pour salt on whatever wound was eating Tommy.

Fuck that alien. Whatever.  
Tommy's hands were washed clean of him now, he wouldn't have to endure that baleful stare in the morning, afternoon or evening anymore. He wouldn't have to defend his poor cooking skills (still better than cardboard), or his position as sole proprietor or the bed.

But hell, he wasn't going to miss any of that! The week wasn't the worst he ever had, but it was low on his favourites, somewhere between the Kaplan family vacation and being forced back into school.

The speedster slowed his pace around East Harlem, deciding that he should probably get some food and waste the day until evening. He really couldn't be bothered with his twin right now, who was probably imploding with curiosity. Not to mention Teddy's stupid face would be telling volumes about something being up and then there'd be endless questions and puppy eyes and...ugh. Couldn't he just forget the entire event? Cancel it from memory? Maybe, if he tried hard enough, he'd forget the sound of that baritone assho-

"You...You're back!"

Nope, that was definitely not it. Much too high, much too female, much too present to be in his head...  
A hefty tug at his arm by a hand armed with viciously coloured nails woke Tommy out of his rage-fuelled but nonsensical thought progress.

"Where the hell have you been?! I've been so worried No-!...oh,"

Tommy's eyes wandered over the stunned girl in front of him. Pink streaked her dark hair, blue eyes lined thickly with dark makeup, her lashes heavy with mascara. The rest of her was clad in a gothic-punk sort of look and she was biting her full lower lip, staring at him with a mixture of embarrassment and disappointment. An odd pendant rested amidst her (perky, nice) breasts, a dull sort of crystal that one of her hands clutched right now.

Tommy finished his once over, giving this one a mental nine and a half.  
Potential improvement of his day? Potential of sex with a hot chick to make him feel better? Chances just went to 99%.

"You're not...sorry, I thought you were someone else."

"Yeah I can tell. Though I really don't see how you could mistake me, I'm one of a kind," Tommy threw her one of his most charming badass smirks, but she still seemed disappointed, "who did you think I was? Name's Tommy, by the way."

The girl sighed, taking a step back and gripping the strap of her backpack.

"I'm Annie and I thought you were my boyfriend."

"Flattered, but I doubt anyone else could look this good."

His bravado didn't exactly coax the reaction he wanted out of her, because her shoulders tensed and her eyes sharpened. Okay, that wasn't completely untypical of women in his presence, but her gaze was sending an irritating stitch to his side. Clearly, she needed to relieve some tension.

"He looks better. And he's a superhero, so I really doubt you could hold a candle to him, Tommyboy."

Oh, a challenge. Well this was a perfect chance to take his mind off of the miserable week with that damn alien. Tommy was all about the challenges.

"Really? Which one? You're not dating Quicksilver are you? Bit old for you, isn't he?" He really hoped she wouldn't confirm that, because one, his uncle was definitely too old for this chick and two, how could anyone mistake Speed for Quicksilver? Worlds lay between the two of them.

She scoffed, clearly not entertained by that notion, "Don't be gross. I'm...well, I don't know if I'm supposed to...fuck it. My boyfriend's the Protector, you got that? So you can stop looking at my tits."

Tommy was about to laugh and give a suitably flirty reply, when his brain processed her words. Protector. He knew who that was. Broken hearted ex-girlfriend. Noh-Varr's cold look whenever he brought her up. This was her. She was...right here. In New York. Under their noses. Wow. He should have put that thought together faster.

"Protector? What a fucking loser, he's nothing compared to me."

Maybe it was his sharp tone or just his harsh words, but something certainly pissed Annie off. Her hands balled into fists and her expression became venomous. If looks could kill, Tommy would be on his merry way into whichever circle of hell was reserved for ridiculously good looking people.

"You fucking asshole, you don't even know him!"

Actually, Tommy was pretty sure he knew the loser she was defending pretty damn well, having been cramped up in a tiny dump of an apartment with that stupid alien cockroach for the past week. But that didn't matter right now. What did matter was the thinly veiled anguish in Annie's eyes, the barely restrained tears. Huh. She had no idea her precious boyfriend was back on Earth, actually only about two Tommy-minutes away from here. The speedster decided to test his theory, probe her pain, push her boundaries. The one night stand was definitely slipping out of sight though. No way was he going to go for pity sex with Noh-Varr's sloppy seconds.

"He went to outer space, didn't he? Hasn't come back? You know he's probably dead or something, right? Or has ET phoned home to hot booty call?"

The slap barely stung his face, he was used to much worse after all. Annie's glare was a scorching flame though as she cursed him thoroughly and stormed off to wherever she was going anyway. She turned her head, but Tommy saw tears on her cheeks. Not that he'd never been slapped by a girl who promptly cried afterwards, but this was different. He was pretty damn sure his words had offended her, but by no means enough to make her bawl her eyes out. Those tears hadn't been for him.  
Then again, he did suggest her boyfriend could be dead, which, even by Tommy standards, was pretty low.

He stood on the street corner, watching cars pass him by he'd usually outrun. What the hell was Noh-Varr doing?! Annie wasn't done with him, clearly. And she must be expecting the Kree, waiting desperately. What had that asshole said when he was recovering? No home, nobody in the universe that wanted his presence?

Tommy felt the rage build up in him like a fire in a tinder-city. That...rat had lied to them. Why?! He'd used them, almost gained their...well no, not trust, but something in the vicinity of that...And to what purpose? Why the fuck would he use a bunch of kids, who'd helped him, for christ's sake? Maybe Tommy should have let him burn in that spaceship. Come to think of it, why had it even crashed in the first place? No one came looking for the Kree afterwards...That lying fuck!

His feet and legs were moving before he even finished his thought, taking him back the way he came. The storm inside of his mind was lashing out at every part of him, sending him into a flying rage before he could even consider what exactly started all of this within him anyway. He'd teach that no-good fucking cockroach a lesson, right now!


	5. Chapter 5

"Open up, asshole!"

Tommy's fists never ceased their rapid rhythm against the abused wood of the poorly painted door. He knew Noh-Varr was in, the Kree had nowhere to go, nothing to do, no one to see. Well.  
Actually there was someone. Someone Tommy met just a tiny while ago. Someone who's existence somehow made Tommy murderously angry at the inhabitant of this shitty flat.

The door suddenly yielded to his assault and Noh-Varr was staring at him, bemused but curious.  
Tommy didn't care, he pushed the door wide open and waltzed right up to the speechless alien.

"You fucking jerk, what are you still doing here?!"

"Tommy, why are you here?"

"Shut up, I'm asking the questions! You had everything! She's still waiting for you, what the fuck are you sitting here for?!"

The Kree's eyes hardened as they did so often when Thomas spoke of his past Earth experience. Or what little he knew about it anyway.

"What does it matter to you? My choices are my own."

"The fuck they are! I can't believe I actually helped you, fucking liar! You got a home and a fucking girl, why the hell would you take our fucking help?! Wasting my time! And I felt sorry for you and all!"

"Thomas..." Noh-Varr began but the furious speedster cut him off.

"No you fucking fuck, don't you 'Thomas' me! You played us and I hate your guts, let the fucking Avengers string up your head you selfish fuck-"

Noh-Varr surged forward in one fluid motion, slamming the Young Avenger against the wall, trapping him between it and his body. Tommy didn't have time to complain, since lips were covering his own, an alien tongue invading his mouth harshly, mercilessly. Taking and taking...  
A noise squeezed past their lips, a muffled protest turned surrender and Tommy gave in to the relentless pressure on his mouth.

He pushed and bit, sucked and growled and it felt fucking good. Noh-Varr's crystal gaze was burning holes into his pathetic soul, was exploring him like an open exhibit and Tommy let him. He was falling rapidly, losing himself in the moist dance of tongues, the hard press of the Kree's body against his own, Noh's hand on his hips, greedy, starving for him.

And Tommy wanted it. He burned for it, just like those inevitable arguments, this was bound to happen, he couldn't stop it. He didn't want to stop it. Noh-Varr was a force of nature against him, a growing storm trapping Tommy in his center.

He was hard. Unbearably and undeniably hard. And that bastard knew it. Knew and did nothing about it.  
The Kree was fucking his mouth, a growl deep in his throat whenever Tommy's teeth punished his lips and tongue for their audacity.  
"Thomas," his voice was husky and drawn out, as if he was fighting for control over his rampant desires, "you want this, so badly."

"Fuck you cockroach, stop face-raping me!"

Tommy winced silently as Noh slammed his head backwards, hand in the speedster's silvery strands, gripping hard.

"You want me, I can feel it. I can smell it on you. That's why you were so angry before, Earthboy. You want me to fuck you."

"Fuck off you cosmic calamity!" Tommy felt scalding hot and piercing cold shivers race over his skin, pricking his senses into overload. He hated this man so much, he couldn't live without this anymore.

His colourful insult made Noh-Varr chuckle and Tommy though the heat of the moment was passed. Maybe they'd exchange some punches before he left. A broken nose or limb as a souvenir.

When Noh clenched his hands into his ass, Tommy hissed like a cobra. So, maybe not punches. This warranted a mighty big kick into alien nuts though.

"Don't you fucking dare-Motherfucker!"

The Kree's bite to his neck was anything but pleasant and probably broke skin in several places...  
Noh-Varr's lips were on him like leeches, teeth scraping over vulnerable skin, tongue stroking the marks with sickening, leisurely pleasure. The hands on his jeans-clad ass were more distracting though. They dug, clawed hard, pushing his hips forward to whatever purpose the damn alien had in mind.

A breathless gasp escaped his mouth. Noh was impossibly hard against him, the heat bleeding through the layers of clothing setting fire to Tommy's senses. With an almighty jerk, he pulled Noh back up into a scorching kiss. That asshole thought he was in control here, but Tommy would prove him wrong.  
And that's when he heard the threatening last gasp of fabric about to tear. His fabric. The coarse denim peeled away under Noh-Varr's grip like rice-paper. Air hit Tommy in places that made him bite the lips in front of him bloody.  
Fuck. He shouldn't have gone commando, not today. He could taste Noh-Varr's smirk. That fucking jerk.  
An alien finger slid over the curve of his ass and Tommy gave a warning growl. Noh wasn't deterred in the least. And then that fucking finger slid behind Tommy's balls and the speedster threw his hips forward. The Kree wouldn't keep still, his curious fingers touching Tommy's crown jewels, sliding over his hard cock as if it was all perfectly allowed.

"I'm not a fucking petting zoo, dickface!"  
A punishing grip on his shaft shut Tommy's boisterous mouth.  
His breath shouldn't be coming this heavily to him. This was a fucking extraterrestrial, not to mention a dude, molesting him against this shitty wall here!

Oh shit. The grip, so harsh a moment ago, melted into gratifying friction. The first couple of movements were heaven, then Tommy's skin felt afire and definitely not in a good way.

"Too fucking dry, don't you even know how to give a good handjob, roach?"

"You sure complain a lot for a guy so eager to feel my genitalia inside of him."

"Oh my god, you are such a mood-kill! Stick my dick in your stupid mouth so I don't have to hear your annoying voice!"

Noh-Varr's eyes were dark with lust by now, an odd contrast to his light irises. He raised the hand that had been so busily touching Tommy to his mouth, sucking on his fingers, his silvery saliva clinging to the digits.  
Tommy felt his breath halt as the touch returned, warm, firm and best of all, wet.

"Fuck yes," he wrought out, desperately driving his hips forward into the offered bliss. Just for a few moments, the situation was utterly perfect. Until a certain hand pressed against a tight ring of muscle that had never felt a foreign touch.

"Get the fuck off of me!" Tommy's head shot forward to give the Kree a little cognitive recalibration, but Noh avoided a collision just in time. Damn those enhanced reflexes.

"You want me, Thomas. You've been wanting me to fuck you for so long."

The scalding retort rose like bile in his throat, but Noh's mouth once again blocked its exit. This kiss was different though. The Kree's tongue coaxed and teased, but it did not invade. The balance between raw desire and something deeper lulled Tommy into a momentary tranquility. He didn't fight back, didn't assert his own dominance, didn't conquer. He kissed Noh-Varr, with the softest of approval for the sudden intensity shared between them.

And then, something slick pushed past inexperience muscles and curled, on the side. Tommy jolted, ready to combat the unwelcome pain, when something flooded all of his senses, just for a few heartbeats. Pleasure numbing his outrage, a surreal sensation, a connection sinking below pure physicality. Sweet novocaine for his deepest aches.

"Your spit..." he breathed against abused lips.

"Contains active submicro particles. They'll take away your pain, Tommy."

He shouldn't have felt so assured at the sound of that voice. For all he knew, he might be hallucinating all of this and wake up in absolute agony later.

"You got roofies in your fucking spit? Bastard..."  
Tommy hated how the response chuckle gave him goosebumps. He hated how he couldn't stop shifting his hips against the intrusive digits at his entrance...  
No, right, it was an exit and nothing but! Fuck this.

"I'm not...I'm not even gay!"

"That isn't important, is it now, Thomas? You and I, we're the same and this," a sharp nail scratched Tommy in places that didn't bear thinking about, "this is what you want. What we both want."

The speedster rutted forward violently, almost throwing Noh-Varr off-balance, but the Kree braced himself on the wall in the nick of time.

"You want me? Not just a fuck?" Why had he said that?! He sounded like a needy, pathetic-

"I want you Thomas. You."

That shouldn't have made him so fucking happy to hear. It should have meant nothing to him. And yet he was kissing Noh again, harder this time but the intensity was still there.

Alright. Maybe he should really stop thinking about all the things he shouldn't feel, the reactions he shouldn't show. Fuck that. He didn't want Noh to leave, especially not right now. Tommy wanted him right here, right now, like this.

Noh-Varr's fingers curled inside of him, touching him in ways he'd, to be honest, thought about, but never applied to his person. This was the kind of gay shit Billy and Teddy got up to.

"Get on with it."

Noh knew exactly what the impatient order translated to for people who weren't Tommy; 'get on with it before I get cold feet'.

"But you like this so much Thomas," Tommy could have punched him in the mouth for that grin, but the deeper penetration of a moving digit stiffened his spine and tightened his grip on Noh-Varr's well-developed, fully clothed shoulders.

"Your. Nuts. Atoms. Destabilizing."

The threat fell on deaf ears, but the hidden plea within did not. Apparently, this was more than just a little game for the Kree as Tommy felt himself shifted, his ass and back pressed more tightly to the wall as Noh's hand fiddled between them. Hah. Fucking alien uniforms weren't all that practical after all. To Tommy, those few seconds felt like lifetimes, but the pure heat rolling off of Noh's revealed skin was almost worth the wait. Something purposefully hard and firm pressed against his trapped erection.

Oh, he knew what that was. Didn't make it any less awkward to feel another guy's dick pressed to your own. But besides the awkward flush to his cheeks and the stupid thought of how this whole situation would look, Tommy brimmed with a different kind of excitement.  
Noh-Varr wasn't hesitating, re-adjusting his grip and raising his human captive higher against the wall. He was angling him.

"Wait," Tommy was breathing hard, which was atrocious for a speedster, but his heart was currently pounding a marathon against time and the first nervous trembles ran over his thighs and arms.

Noh-Varr stilled, but his eyes were ablaze. Tommy felt himself catch fire just looking at them, his senses overloading with all things Kree in his presence and he nodded, silently giving the alien permission to continue.

Even with the submicro particles doing their work on his nerve endings, his entire body flared with pain. The speedster almost began to vibrate, but there was that enticing mouth on his own again, dulling his pained world, narrowing his awareness onto Noh-Varr's taste...That god damn addictive taste...He was probably only imagining the alluring flavour, his brain probably being told to associate pleasantry to that saliva...

But he didn't care.

There was something hot and heavy pushing its relentless way into him and Tommy lacked resistance. His body felt like a useless glove that didn't fit. Once the initial pain subsided, everything was weird. Noh-Varr was much too close, Noh-Varr was inside of him, his head bent close to Tommy's shoulder, his breath now equally unsettled. And then he began to move. It was slow at first, almost unsteady, almost probing (and no, Tommy did not want to think of the irony of Noh being an alien) at first, then a smoother shift, building up into thrusts.

As much as Tommy wanted to believe he hated this, as much as the speedster wanted to think of this as something unwelcome and horrible, he found himself relishing every moment. The raw sensation of being fucked, however slowly, was spiking his body into a rush of adrenaline release he'd never experienced before. This wasn't like having sex with girls he'd met the evening before, this wasn't even close to what he'd ever imagined an experience with a guy would be like. This was solid and hot and heavy, slowly driving him insane. His nails dug deep trenches into Noh-Varr's shoulders, he liked to think the Kree could feel that through whatever weird material his uniform was made out of.

Tommy grew bored of being rigid and still, instead grinding himself down as hard as he possibly could. The groan escaping Noh-Varr's lips was reward enough for him to try that again. And dear fucking god, it was damn good. Not soft, not gentle, definitely not loving, but very, very real.

Their rhythm picked up as they found the right motions to work against each other. Their bodies were straining, but not tiring. A deep heat was making its presence felt in Tommy's stomach, slowly reaching up, making his tongue heavy and his mind completely numb. So good, he wanted more, faster, harder, deeper!

"You...fucking...that all you got?" he heard his voice, it was thick with something he didn't want to identify as lust, but Noh-Varr's gaze provided him answer that it was unmistakably so.

"Feels good, Thomas. You feel good."

"Shut the fuck up"

Damn that fucking smirk, he didn't want to see it, though some part of him was thrilled that he alone was the cause of it. Tommy's teeth were merciless on Noh-Varr's skin. Hah. Let's see that heal in a matter of hours!

His thighs were starting to ache from the grip he had on Noh-Varr's waist and he could feel sweat dampen his skin. How much stamina did Kree have again? There was no fucking way he was going to let himself be finished before this fucker was groaning his name in sweet bliss, no way he'd allow Noh that victory.

Hips rolled harder, thrusts became deeper and neither could keep silent anymore. Tommy never prided himself on being particularly vocal, but apparently today's agenda involved him being very, very audible. It was a small comfort the alien fucking him couldn't keep quiet either, the noises elicited from abused lips serving Tommy's ears as balm.

There!  
The shiver running down his spine turned into a rolling, slow wave of nirvana, shutting down every tired or aching nerve along the way. How the holy hell had he never found that spot before?! Oh, that's right, first time with a guy. Tommy gripped for anything that could hold him to reality, anything to ground his soaring senses. Noh sensed enough to service a hard, possessive bite to his exposed collarbone. Tommy's moan collapsed into a harsh curse and his meticulous control over his body crumbled. His climax hit him hard and thoroughly, so much so he clamped his teeth together, squeezing his eyes shut and burrowing his head into a musky scented neck.

As if waking from a dream, his senses crawled back to him and he just caught the last moments of Noh-Varr's muttering as he too finished with the experience.

Well fuck.  
Panting and awkward silence filled the room, both young men all too aware of how desperate and hasty their copulation had occurred, how much both of them had wanted this...

"Thomas..."

"Don't. Just get off of me, I need a shower. Then I'm gonna punch you in the face, repeatedly."

Maybe he would have sounded more convincing if his voice wasn't still so high-strung from the rush of endorphins through his body.  
Noh-Varr stepped back once Tommy's feet touched the ground. He was at a loss for words. Typical. First it's all fuck and yes and here and now, then there's the awkward dressing and cleaning and then it's a silent goodbye. Was there such a thing as a bad bye?

"We need to-"

Whatever Noh-Varr wanted to explain to the speedster was lost in the explosion of the outer wall of the apartment.


	6. Chapter 6

"What the fuck?!"

Surprisingly enough, it wasn't Tommy that swore loudly, but Noh. He'd curled around Tommy's prone body which was still sluggish from the recent activities. If the speedster had time, he would have certainly rebelled against such a protective action. He wasn't a damsel after all, for Christ's sake! Just because he slept with a guy didn't mean he wanted his affection or protection.

Tommy didn't really have time for such a train of thought though, because a dozen blue-skinned aliens were looking pretty pissy hovering outside of the ruined apartment. Ah. Must be the extremely ineffective hunters of the Kree, sent to retrieve or kill Noh-Varr for his crime. What had he done again to piss of his entire species?

Must be something spectacular.

"Noh-Varr, surrender immediately and your execution will not involve suffering."

"These your guys? Charming bunch huh?" Tommy, by now dressed in whatever pants had been laying around, was up on his feet, muscles tense, legs ready for some action. A good fight was definitely a great idea right now. Just perfect for taking his mind off of what occurred just minutes ago…

Noh looked very different to any previously shown emotion. He was more than just tense, his body was taut like a tightrope, his crystal gaze burning but also shimmering with something unfamiliar. Was it fear? No, he wasn't afraid of the Kree, that wasn't it. What then? Tommy needed to know what kind of state his only ally in this situation was in, just for plain strategy. If he had to deal with these blue fuckers on his own, he had to be far more careful.

"Cockroach?" he tried twice, raising his voice the second time, "Cockroach!"

Okay, new approach because the guy wasn't responding, frozen like a deer in the headlight, caught up in whatever shocked him so badly, whether it was the Kree actually tracking him to Earth or that they were indeed ready to kill him, it didn't matter. They wouldn't succeed, not if the Young Avengers – not if Speed had anything to say about it.

"Noh-Varr!"

The sound of his name from Tommy's throat kick-started the super Kree somewhat, at least he moved his head and his eyes fell on the speedster at his side.

"Get the fuck with the program. It's Kree ass-kicking time!"

The faintest of smirks appeared on worried lips and that was all the discussion to be had. Both of them knew what was at stake here and how casually this could escalate. A Kree ship must have brought these alien smurfs here, and someone was bound to notice that. They had to defeat this squad swiftly and take out the ship, then get the hell under cover or the Avengers would be down on their heads like a shit ton of bricks. Or the X-Men. Neither choice was preferable.

The fight was simple enough. It flowed into the overly familiar rhythm of dodge, roll, punch, kick, flip, dodge bullets or in this case lasers, drop-kick, flip, destabilize weapons and armour. Tommy would never admit how easily he fell into sync with Noh-Varr. His own super-speed combined with the steadfast enhanced reflexes, the white-running and the substantial strength the super Kree offered made them an utterly lethal combination. Whenever he destroyed armour, Noh-Varr was right there, ready to deal the harsh blows to knock the Kree out of the fight. Soon enough, their enemies were decimated. The ship hovered above the building, too high to be reached with a leap or so. Unless you were a creative mind and able to run up vertical surfaces.

Tommy took a breather, not that it was necessary, but he'd run out of alien smurfs to punch. Instead, he watched as his companion leapt through the massive gaping hole in the apartment wall, holding onto an exposed steel beam and swinging himself around a corner. His feet stuck to the wall with an ease that should inspire discomfort in anyone except maybe Spider-man. Or Spider-woman. Or any other arachnid related superhuman.

Noh took just a few deep breaths, then he began another white-run. Anyone else would have seen nothing, would have been unaware of the movement. But Tommy lived at a different pace than any humans (except for Quicksilver) and he could watch leisurely as Noh ran until there was no more building to tread on. He leapt up with pretty impressive speed, barreling into the belly of the ship with some force. Whatever he did next got him into the vessel, which promptly faded from sight. Some sort of reflector things or whatever, Tommy wasn't exactly up to date on alien technology and science. Really not his department.

The ship was completely gone now, but Noh-Varr re-appeared. Idiot, he could have taken that ship anywhere in the universe, why the hell was he jumping back down to the building?

"Are you injured, Thomas?"

"Obviously not, those guys were nothing. Better question is what the hell are you still doing here? Don't you get the concept that basically everyone is out to kill you? Are you fucking stu-"

Tommy swore this wouldn't become habit, his sentences would be finished without the interruption by alien lips and tongue. But he couldn't exactly resist it either, allowing maybe ten percent of his body to melt into the touch, the soft press of lips. Noh moved back before either of them could intensify it. Tommy felt a light daze which he wanted to shake off as soon as possible. This stupid alien was getting to him in ways that were utterly unacceptable. And worst of all, he was showing response to those despicable, treacherous ways.

"I must get away from here. Return home Thomas, don't let anyone catch you here."

"Oh really? I thought I'd hang out with some unconscious alien soldiers and all, I love doing that. You get the fuck out of here, now. Go, run, hide in a hole or something cockroach, come on you should be good at that."

Noh rolled his eyes, "You are an insufferable human, do you know that? You could try not to be so obnoxious for just a moment."

"And what good would that do? All your alien bullshit is messing up my day, now fucking shoo."

At least Noh-Varr took that unsubtle hint easily enough, because he was gone without another word. Thomas could have watched him white-run, but why should he? He didn't care where Noh went. Away from here, away from New York, away from Tommy's team and company.

The speedster made his own way, leaving the apartment behind one final time. Actually, it was probably a good thing that the place had been mostly destroyed by alien gunfire. The memories clinging to the worn furniture and dusty carpets were nothing now, they lay in the same ruins as the rest of the place.

The Kaplans' new home was a place grander than the Shepherds could ever have dreamed off. Did cardiologists and psychologists get paid so much? Tommy chose to never ask. The Kaplans didn't have to take him in.  
Whatever bullshit Billy had told them about the identical boy he'd dragged home one day must have been quite the sob-story, because Rebecca and Jeff never asked him a thing. Just opened their home to him, gave him a place to live. In relative peace too, since Teddy smoothly ignored the implication of sharing a room with Tommy like the Kaplans had suggested. No, Teddy stayed firmly in Billy's super-geeky room, which was perfectly fine with the speedster. No one wanted to share a room with one half of a disgustingly in love couple.

As soon as he got to the house, he disappeared into his room. Advantages of being a speedster included virtual super-sneaking-in skills. Tommy disposed of his pretty ruined clothing, they'd only prompt uncomfortable questions in the form of a curious mage. Billy came too close to discovering Noh-Varr's presence last time anyway and Tommy had absolutely no intention of doing anything but closing the subject of the alien problem. It was done now, Noh would go into hiding and he wasn't Tommy's problem anymore.

But exactly that felt like a whole new can of worms. Noh-Varr. Noh-Varr was a can of worms, all by himself. Tommy smirked to himself, considering the Kree wasn't ad-versed to eating trash, he probably wouldn't even bat an eyelash at a can of worms...fuck, what was he thinking? He was done with all of this, for real this time.

The rest of his evening was so spectacularly uneventful though, his thoughts wouldn't leave the subject of Noh-Varr alone. He was silent during dinner with the Kaplans, ignoring the squabbling of the Kaplan siblings, their parents' half-hearted attempts to rein them in and Teddy's worried glances. Apparently, if the speedster wasn't shouting louder than anyone else, something was wrong. Again, lack of caring on Tommy's part. He just disappeared into his room afterwards, flicking through the news channels for any scrap of information on alien ships and such. He found none and he didn't know whether that made him happier or pissed him off more. At some point, the chatter of the sports reporter became white noise as he closed his eyes and let the day pass review.

He'd slept with Noh-Varr. He knew that, there was absolutely no denying the deep ache in his body or the unmistakable ecstasy the memory triggered in him like a bad (okay, no, really fantastic) taste at the back of his mouth.

And what had the Kree said? Not just a fuck. Not...it was hard to forget the intensity with which those words had been uttered, the honesty in those clear eyes...Maybe Noh-Varr really meant it. Tommy didn't trust people easily, not by a long-shot, he'd been cut and torn down too many times in his young life for that.

But this was different, because Noh-Varr obviously trusted him. Had done so from the moment Tommy rescued him, really. And that was new. Sure, the speedster knew what friendship and a pseudo-family felt like now, he even trusted his teammates, but this thing with the alien felt different. He didn't have to be dependable for Noh-Varr. The Kree took care of himself and he certainly didn't hesitate or treat Tommy with gloves. He didn't expect Tommy to be polite or control himself or anything. He couldn't, he had no right to judge human behaviour. He had nothing. Even with the waiting girlfriend or ex, Noh didn't feel as if he had a home with her. But he'd stayed where he remembered being with Tommy. Sure, you could say he stayed where it was comfortable, sat in a made nest, but Tommy knew better and he was selfish.

And the week with Noh really had been...good. A good fucking time. The arguments were natural and matched each other blow for blow, challenged each other's confidence and at the same time built a connection, a tiny, thin footbridge of respect and trust.

Tommy rolled across his bed a couple of times, twisting inside of his sheets, pressing his face into the soft pillow. Ugh, Rebecca used that awful flowery conditioner again...these smelled like girl sheets. Noh would totally call him out on the scent, would undermine his masculinity and grin that infuriating...  
Shit. He was thinking of him again. And now, it was even worse, because he remembered the touch of those fingertips, the rough grope of those hands, the wanting greed of that mouth. And that sweet, blissful fucking nirvana the Kree had given him.

Tommy wanted it again. He ached for it, somewhere deep in the core of his probably rotten soul. He wanted his equal back, his stupid roommate who just begged for a punch in the face and a rough biting kiss right after.  
Fuck, what the hell was this? Was he getting obsessed with Noh-Varr? Or was he already at that stage and just practiced active denial?

He heard his teeth grinding, the grating sound echoing through his room. It was so damn empty in here...Empty. Alone. Maybe that was what he was missing right now. Someone who...wow even his thoughts sounded pathetic now, what the shit was wrong with him?

He missed the company. He missed the one person who seemed at ease, who enjoyed his bickering, who didn't just put up with him. He missed Noh-Varr.

Admitting it silently to himself in his own mind wasn't as phenomenally embarrassing as saying it out loud or God forbid telling someone else.

So he missed the cockroach. Big deal. So he definitely wanted to have sex with him again. Great. None of it mattered now, because now, like so many other good things in Tommy's life, Noh-Varr was gone.

All the speedster had left to wrap himself into were his memories. He felt them envelop him like a delicate blanket, smothering his frustration, any sign of his anger. Almost as if he was being wrapped into someone's arms. Someone who cared for him and him alone. Someone who wanted Tommy, not the speedster, not the mutant, not the Scarlet Witch's less interesting 'spawn'. Just Tommy.

* * *

Leaving Teddy's arms was one of his least favourite parts of the morning, but Billy gave himself a mental lecture. Waking the blond up with a nicely arranged breakfast in bed would definitely lead to a lovely romantic morning in bed with his beloved, so, yeah, it was worth leaving the warmth of his boyfriend's embrace temporarily.

On soles of velvet, he snuck through the silent house. Not even his mother was up yet, so the peaceful serenity was complete.

The closer he got to the kitchen, the more awake the young mage felt. And the more aware he became of the noises that should definitely not be coming from an empty room full of appliances and food.

His heart began pounding rapidly, unsure of what he'd find in there. Did burglars stay for breakfast? Or was it something ridiculous, like a badger or Deadpool?

Just in case, he grasped a firm hold of his magic, for self defense only as he pushed open the door, glowing a light blue and opening his mouth to speak.

Whatever words he was prepared to throw at the intruder's head got stuck in his throat and refused to leave their domain.

How often did shirtless Kree find their way into the Kaplan kitchen? Quick answer; this was the first.

Noh-Varr glanced up from coffee grounds garnished with eggshells and cardboard piled on a plate in a neat mockery of actual consumable food.

"Good morning."

Billy's jaw dropped open at the casual greeting and his magic disappeared with a wet, pathetic little fizzing sound.


	7. Chapter 7

Awkward silence sprawled across the room. Billy and Noh-Varr were no longer in the kitchen, the situation partially diffused by the sheer absurdity of the circumstances.  
The alien 'guest' was parked on the couch now, one of Teddy's shirts covering his partial nudity. He looked pretty relaxed for someone who should have been halfway across the planet or preferably the galaxy by now.

Tommy stood by the side of the couch and looked at everything but the Kree. He was NOT happy to see this asshole again, no fucking way. So what if he had some reason to stay on Earth? He was nothing but trouble, and not the kind of trouble the speedster appreciated in his life.

Actually, Noh-Varr was like some kind of infection that wouldn't go away. Wasn't it bad enough Tommy had to admit to thinking about the stupid asshole and the fact they'd...had sex? Did he really HAVE to show up here?

He let his eyes find something else to cling to and Billy offered an easy target. The mage was sitting in an armchair, staring across the room, the mug of coffee clasped between his fingers. They looked entirely too white to be called naturally relaxed. His brow was twisted and his gaze was best described as baleful. It was clear as day that the mage was remembering the previous encounter with the alien he'd found in his kitchen this morning.

And what a first impression Noh-Varr had made that day. Tommy wasn't present, something he regretted deeply, not for the sake of meeting said alien, but for the pain his team suffered. Those hours in the Cube had left their scars. The Cube was a place of horrors and nightmares and Tommy didn't wish it on anyone to have spent any amount of time in there. Not even Noh-Varr. Maybe especially not Noh-Varr.

"So," Billy's voice, quiet and entirely too somber, broke the uncomfortable silence of the room, "how long have you guys been doing this...avenging behind my back?"

Teddy flinched visibly, his grip on Billy's shoulder changing, shifting to cover more of his boyfriend, as if he could convey his reasoning through the contact alone. Typical. Altman should really learn not to be cowed by the fear of Billy leaving him, because, let's be real, the world would end before that took place.

"A couple of months...I'm sorry Bee, I wanted to tell you, but you were just getting better..."

A weak excuse, even if it was a valid reason. Billy knew better than anyone how painfully true it was, but he also knew that keeping a secret from him wouldn't have bettered Teddy's cards. If anything, he should have told him right away, instead of doing anything behind his back.

"And why is HE a part of all of this?" an accusing finger shot out to spear Noh-Varr in the chest, to which the Kree had nothing more to offer than a lifted eyebrow. Even that expression looked good on his stupid face...  
Tommy shook himself, he really needed a grip on whatever the hell was wrong with him because it was turning him into Billy. Something he never, ever wanted to be, no matter how dire the situation.

"He wasn't part of the plan. He sort of bombed in on one of our...things."

"He was injured and Tommy insisted we help him," Teddy tried to appeal to his boyfriend's overdimensional heart and wielded his most lethal weapon; the patented Altman puppy eyes. The tension eased out of Billy's shoulders visibly and he retrieved his accusing hand.  
Tommy might just puke if he opened his mouth now and said something about how there was some good in his speedster brother after all.

"And even though he's kind of a rude asshole, he's staying on Earth. The Avengers can suck it,"

That may have been stupid to say, because Billy's forehead wrinkled into a frown, as if he was slowly connecting what Tommy so eagerly divulged to the still oddly silent Kree on the sofa. The speedster took only the blink of an eye to move in front of the furniture and unwittingly, into a defensive position in front of the alien.

"Why would you say that, Tommy? What has he done?"

"Betrayed Earth or something, but look, that's all-" the rest of his feeble sentence drowned in the shrill ring of the doorbell. That must have been Kate. After the initial discovery, Teddy insisted that all of the remaining team members of the Young Avengers be present.

"I'll get it," Billy moved away from the hand Teddy had extended towards him and into the corridor with short, charged steps. Clearly, he was the very epitome of unhappy.

"Why don't you say anything?" the speedster whipped around and snarled at the very person he'd been defending moments earlier.

"I didn't think my input would change the outcome," he was still so damn calm, just as he had been when Tommy came speeding down the stairs following Billy's screeching voice. He wouldn't deny that he felt kind of pleased that Noh-Varr would return to his immediate company, but hell, he could have just...called or something. Then Tommy could have told him no and what a pathetic alien he was.

"Why are you even here? Why the kitchen? Why this house? Why in the morning?! It's not even seven yet!"

"I was hungry."

"For the trash in my house? Honestly you seriously need to go to alien obedience school like Teddy. At least he has the decency to pay Billy back in blowjobs."

"Tommy!" Teddy didn't sound particularly offended, just shocked Tommy would bring it up so easily in conversation. Whatever. If he didn't want people talking about it he should gag the mage or at least tell him to yell out something less conspicuous. Or not to actively describe how much he liked what Teddy was doing. Word for word.

"Alright, so, clearly we have an alien plague on our hands. Someone make me coffee and let's talk about this like adults," Kate may have just entered the room a second ago, but it was part of her natural charm and disposition to take charge of any situation. The archer had no qualms about taking a seat on the couch Noh-Varr was occupying, something that galled Tommy for entirely different reasons that he was definitely never going to think about.

*

The discussion took them longer than two hours, noon on its merry way and they'd come to no resolution. And the part that pissed him off most? The goddamn reason for all their troubles didn't say a word to justify his presence. Again.

"For someone so cocky you're really a doormat when it comes to arguments, huh?" the speedster turned on his 'case' with a venomous snarl.

"You didn't have to say anything. I am not your charge to defend," Noh-Varr had the nerve to sound insulted. He should have been happy Tommy was willing to put his ass on the line...actually, why the hell was he doing that, again? This time, he couldn't even claim the alien was wounded or defenseless, that sassy, trash-eating mouth was definitely capable of stout argument.

Unless it was that stupid, confounding feeling again. The one he couldn't place, the one that told him that, okay, Noh-Varr wasn't actually horrible...he was pretty great company and definitely easier to deal with than the wrecked shambles of their team. Teddy was Billy's doormat, Kate was suppressing every feeling she ever had and Tommy flailed freely between the two of them. He was just dangling again, not needed, neither 'side' displaying much of a want for his presence. It was like being back in the Shepherd household, caught between two fronts. Tommy didn't like being left in no man's land.

And that's why he wanted Noh-Varr on the team. Noh was lost in that space too, literally no one wanted him around, people even preferred him dead than alive...And even though he was an annoying cockroach, creepy and way too arrogant, he didn't deserve that. Tommy wondered if he'd decided on this the day he met the Kree or the day he'd kissed him. Either way, Noh was here to stay and damn it all to hell, Tommy wanted him to.

"Shut up. You're gonna be part of the team. We need you around and that's that. You owe us."

There was that knowing look again, the one Tommy felt went right through him like some sort of x-ray vision. Except Noh didn't see his skeleton, but rather, all those tangled and crippled little knots of emotion the speedster would rather die than reveal existed.

"I think it's you that needs me around, Thomas," the Kree was too close to the truth and too close to his personal space bubble. And yet he wasn't stepping away. Tommy squared his shoulders, his feet slightly apart as if he expected a physical blow he needed to absorb as he met the Kree's expectant gaze.

"So what if I do?"

Across the room, three slack jaws and six eyes followed their every word, practically hanging on their lips. Now, it wasn't so unusual for no one to know what was going on with Tommy, he wasn't a caring and sharing sort of guy. But the fact he was having a near emotional discussion with their alien visitor right here in front of them was like seeing a dog walk on two legs and ask for a latte macchiato.

Billy elbowed Teddy, but the large blond just shook his head mutely. In turn, both of them looked over to Kate who'd at least recovered her expression by now. Yet she too had no insight to offer.

However, their little soap opera drama would have to wait, because someone was giving the Kaplan home's door a serious abusive session. Tommy was first to move and he ripped the door open with a somewhat displeased expression.

"We're not interested in buying anything so kindly go fuck yourself!"

"We're not here to sell you anything son."

Oh crap. Tommy looked up, miles and miles of blue chainmail later, into the face of Steve Rogers, otherwise known as Captain America. Behind him, an array of very disgruntled looking Avengers fanned out on the Kaplan doorstep. This was like some disturbed fantasy Billy should be having.

"Uh," slipped from his mouth, crowning him with the supreme intelligence title of witty responses for the year, "why are you here?"

"Why do you think, bub? Now hand him over, we got business to be settling with his head. Preferably away from his body," the man may be short, but there was something intimidating about the furry ball of Canadian, gruff, foul mood, also known as Wolverine.

"I don't know who you mean, s'no one here but Billy, Teddy and me. And Kate," he crossed his arms, slightly irritated by the manner in which the superheroes were glaring at him as if he were a lying child. Well he was young, and actually lying, but that didn't matter, they should give him the benefit of the doubt, he was one of the good guys!

"You're lying. I can smell 'im all the way out here," Wolverine was quite ready to tear into the house, the snikt! of his blades audible in the hallway. Tommy braced himself for a very fast run to avoid being sliced to ribbons.  
"Tommy, just...stop. I called them."

He barely believed his ears as he turned to face his twin who'd joined him in the hallway and was tugging him out of the way. The speedster moved about as quickly as a mountain.

"You called them? Why the hell would you do that?!"

"Because there's an alien fugitive in my kitchen and my brother is somehow, stupidly offering him refuge when he should be dealt with by people whom he won't take out within five minutes."

Flies were going to colonize in his mouth before he could swallow that statement down. Billy...Fucking, Billy?! Throwing away every principle he'd ever tried to teach his twin brother about compassion and helping others. Tommy felt the room spin, something was so very wrong here, he couldn't be having this argument, no, this situation with Billy of all people...

The Avengers must have grown tired of waiting politely on the doorstep, because the room was suddenly crowded with bodies and Noh-Varr's growl rang out clearly as he snarled a warning at whomever was threatening him. Tommy still couldn't move, couldn't fathom the betrayal he felt at Billy's actions.

"One more move and you're gonna lose that pretty head of yers bub!"

Finally, he pulled himself out of the silent staring contest and allowed his aching legs to move. He wove around the uninvited mass of bodies and found Noh-Varr, who was staring down Wolverine with a beautiful sneer. Really, Tommy couldn't have mastered a more condescending and disdainful look himself.

"He's not going with you or anywhere else, you got that?!" his body was just moving of its own volition now, putting itself between the Kree and the horribly tempered mutant.

"Thomas, step aside, this has nothing to do with you," Captain America sounded tired and Speed certainly didn't blame him, he had all those picky little bastards like Logan to deal with after all. But that didn't mean he was going to move an inch.

"Tommy, please don't make trouble. He's not worth it," from across the room, Billy's voice was pleading and thin, from where the former mage stood encircled by his boyfriend's massive, protective arms.

This wasn't right. Why the hell was everyone so accepting of this? It wasn't what he signed up for when the Young Avengers busted him out of jail, gave him the second chance of a lifetime. Why was it so different now? Because Noh-Varr was none of their business? Well tough shit, Tommy had made him his business and he was going to stand by that decision.

He swept the room for any sources of help once more, but even Kate looked...degenerated. Too easily bowled over by the sheer presence of the Avengers, their overwhelming number.

"Tho-Mas," that dark baritone was the last thing he'd wanted to hear, and yet he'd ached for it. Noh would never turn himself in, he'd fight all of this injustice against him, right? Right.

"I will not run away anymore...I'll go with-"

"No!"

Resigned crystal eyes met his own with some astonishment, but Tommy's glare remained hard. He didn't care if even his new alien buddy was thinking of surrender. He wasn't allowed to give up on all they had, not in the slightest.

"All of you shut up and listen to me for a change!" a hand shot out and gripped Noh-Varr's wrist, just behind the golden gauntlet adorned with a strange red jewel, "this guy is NOT going with you. He is staying right here, because I said so. WE said so. The Young Avengers. Because we're all about second chances and giving people the benefit of the doubt. We are not like you! We're a new generation and yeah, we're gonna vouch for this guy because...because I said so! If you take him you're gonna have to catch me first and good luck with that because they don't call me Speed for nothin'!"

His lungs heaved, he felt as if he'd just screamed something from a mountain top. His hand dug, clawed into Noh's arm, but the Kree made no movement to dislodge him from his limb.

"That's great and all kid but your pet roach betrayed us and there's a price to be paid for it. He was warned and he's back here again," Wolverine reached to cast Tommy aside, but another hand caught his arm. The golden gauntlet on that wrist began glowing and Noh-Varr glowered down at the short-tempered, hairy little man.

"Do not touch my teammate, Wolverine, or I will find a way to circumvent your healing factor and take every pleasure in killing you."

Granted, that wasn't the best speech to make Noh-Varr seem a changed man, but it sounded cool and Tommy could not fight the surge of satisfaction that the promise of violence had been born from a need to protect the speedster.

"Logan, stand down for a moment. What is going on here? Noh-Varr is a fugitive, not some random alien you kids can just keep on your couch," Tony was being his usual, helpful self and probably a very busy man. He'd also hoped for a distinct presence of Kree technology, so finding only Noh-Varr was pretty disappointing.

"He's not just a random alien though, he's our friend. And Tommy's right. He's our teammate now," Kate crossed the room without moving out of anyone's way in the slightest, taking up position next to Tommy in forming a small, teenage wall in front of the Kree.

"And you can't just take him away," Teddy's voice was pretty unexpected too, but the large blond detached himself from Billy and joined Kate and Tommy. Billy hesitated, before he stood next to Noh, though there was still a respectable distance there too. The Cube events had not left his memory.

A questioning glance from Cap opened the former mage's mouth.

"I think I made...a wrong call. Tommy is right. We've all made mistakes and if the team wants this guy on board, how could I possibly refuse? I'm sorry Cap, you came for nothing."

"It's great that you all have feelings and all but this guy's had his share of second and third and fourth chances, he needs to be taken out and ain't no teenie boppers gonna stop me!"

Wolverine swept the speedster and former mage aside and tackled the Kree straight out of the backdoor into the yard. Everyone followed the commotion.

Noh-Varr could, physically, stand up to Wolverine, no doubt about it, but the Kree wasn't looking to win this as some glorious battle, he just wanted to disable the mutant as quickly as possible. Which mean no use of his gauntlet weapons, because even though Logan was pretty much immortal, the Avengers would definitely not just stand by idly as he attempted murder.

"I'm not here to endanger Earth!"

"Tell it to a sucker bub."

Another short charge and Wolverine barrelled into Noh-Varr's torso, taking the Kree down into the perfect position for a grand finale decapitation or possibly carved out chest.

"Tell your alien god I said-"

"I want you to stop!"

Suddenly trapped in a blue, glowing bubble, Logan floated up into the air, his blades retreating into his hand and safely away from Noh-Varr's throat.

Billy stood just beyond his porch, one hand outstretched, his friends milling at his side. The young mage deposited Wolverine some distance from the Kree, whom Tommy stood guard over like the fiercest of guard dogs.

"Please, don't dismiss us a foolish children," Billy spoke once more, though he already looked worn down from the use of his sorcery, something he had not done in months.

"Noh-Varr is a Young Avenger now. We're giving him another chance. And if you want to take him out, you better be prepared to take all of us too," Kate's bow wasn't aiming at anyone just yet, but the arrow was notched and ready, the Avengers needed to see they meant business. They weren't dealing with a bunch of kids in tights anymore.

Steve Rogers was never a fool, but he certainly could be stubborn. Stubborn enough to butt heads with a bunch of teenagers.

"Your responsibility. You are taking him on. And if there is one mishap, one toe out of line, you will answer to us, Noh-Varr. This is your last chance, by God I hope these kids aren't wrong about you."

The Kree, now standing besides Tommy, gave a nod, but didn't dignify the man with a verbal response.

The super-powered assembly retreated, leaving the freshly baked roster of the YA behind. And in awkward silence once more. Kate, Billy and Teddy looked to Tommy for an explanation of what the hell just happened, some speedster wisdom on why he'd really just put his ass on the line for this man.

"So, uh, Tommy. Are you dating him or what, because that was some epic Arwen speech right there," Billy tried to lighten the mood with one of his nerdy references, but the effect was rather unspectacular other than a sidelong, harsh glare from Tommy.

"Of course not you giant doof. I meant what I said. This guy's gonna join us. You all gave me a chance, now I'm giving him one. See how that works?"

"Tommy, when did you become so," Teddy cracked a smile as he placed a hand on his chest, his heart obviously aching with the beauty of all of this, "compassionate?"

"Save your bleeding heart Ted, it's not what you all think!" this was just getting ridiculous. Sure, he'd done something a bit unusual for him, something outside of the Tommy Shepherd norm but that didn't give them the right wig out about it and all act like weirdos. Even Kate was giving him a look that suggested she was going to give him clothing advice and dress him to look like vanilla version of Billy.

"You are the most foolish, idiotic human I have ever met."

Oh, right, there was that alien man standing behind him, or rather, next to him, too close, the others were going to go right back to their suspicions and damn it he really didn't want to deal with a bunch of...young, curious adults. They weren't kids anymore. Right? Right.  
"Well you're the most undeserving jerkface in this galaxy and you're lucky I-"

Alright, he was going to make a rule about this sort of thing. It was definitely not okay to cut his scorching retort off with a kiss, he had a reputation to keep and god damn it, there was that tingling again. Though by now, it sort of felt like a red alert level hurricane of unpleasant, small winged creatures trapped in his body as an alien tongue snaked into his mouth. Nope, this wasn't happening in front of the others, right here in the Kaplans' back yard right? It couldn't. So that was definitely not the reason for the squeak that erupted from Billy's throat or the loud coughing courtesy of Teddy.

Tommy ripped his mouth away, practically scolding the Kree with his gaze, though his sense of timing was really off if he considered the lingering length of the kiss in comparison with his right to be outraged at this audacity of being kissed in broad daylight.

"Lucky I wanted...erh, we wanted you on the team. So welcome to the team you stupid cockroach and if you do that again I'm gonna vaporize your ass."

"Looks like you boys get along just fine. I might shed a tear, this is better than Jerry Springer," Kate was quite clearly over the Avenger-induced catastrophe and still a big advocate of that coffee she never did receive. Teddy and Billy, still standing there like two seventh graders who missed the schoolbus paid no attention as she walked by, the archer literally had to tug them along by their shoulders.

"You're making me coffee. And breakfast. And then you're going to tell me what magic you worked on your family, Billy, because I can't believe they just sat through a spandex-clad shitstorm without so much as showing their faces."

There was no arguing with Kate and even if they'd been capable of replying, both of the Young Avengers' resident (Tommy was pretty sure Billy was back on board) geeks still looked thunderstruck. Was it the revelation that maybe their speedster had feelings or the stupid kiss with the stupid alien?

Whom was still right there next to him. Still kind of too close. Fuck it. They were alone and for once, there was absolutely nothing to set Tommy back.

"I still hate your guts. But you know, I think we're gonna make a good team. Your creepy roach abilities paired with my good looks and speed, we'll get this operation back up and running."

Noh-Varr raised one of those horribly sharp eyebrows at him, but didn't object, in fact, Tommy noticed there was a hand on his waist, one that didn't belong there, but he'd get into a territorial fight about that later; the stupid alien was kind of captivating his gaze.

"I've been part of many teams and I've known many humans, but this is the first time I actually look forward to it. Teamwork. And you, arrogant, insufferable little gerbil."

"You're a horrible space cockroach who needs some better insults. I have so much to teach you. It's gonna cost you though. The Shepherd school of being cool isn't cheap."

"That's surprising, considering the Shepherd property comes for free. Or just some very little manual labour."

He was going to kick the Kree's ass for that, right from here all the way back to wherever the hell he came from. Just as soon as they stopped eye-fucking and possibly backing into an obscure corner of the backyard.

"You know, this would be much easier if we weren't in the garden and being watched by at least three people," he muttered against smug, smirking lips.

"What do you expect me to do about it, Speed?"

"Give them a great fucking show, what else?"

He didn't know about the Young Avengers, their future, if they'd even form a decent team or if they'd ever go back to how things were. But for now, Tommy knew at least he wasn't going to be alone in no man's land anymore. He wasn't going to be the waste of space everyone just tolerated, he wasn't going to be the free radical between two warring fronts. He'd have his own homestead to defend, fight with and for.  
Tommy was going to be okay, for once.


End file.
